My heart roared back to life. Instinctively, I leapt back. It was staring at me. Unmoving. I noticed its eight legs hunched up to its body. Abruptly, it leapt forward with lightning speed revealing its fangs covered in a white fluid and two mandibles next to them. My mind went blank but my body was active. I jumped to the side. It crashed its entire body weight where I just was. It was a beast more than twice my size, pink spots on its white body and red hairs all over its body. It was a sight I had never seen before. However, now was not the time.
I ran. A swift breath of Ki and my legs kicked off the ground powerfully. However, one leap from that beast and it was above me. Again, I jumped to the side, tumbled and kept running. The ground shook from its crashing and thrashing. There was only one exit now. Where I came from. I looked up to it. It looked much higher up than it did previously. I had to make it. One jump. Failure meant my enlistment to the list of spirits. The beast was right behind me. Ki gathered in my feet. Too close for comfort. I leapt just as it clamped its mandibles. I missed it. However, I got hold of its edge. Quickly I pulled myself up. The thing crashed its head right where my body was. It was relentless. It tried crawling in.
It was too big. I took off not too eager to know if it could widen the entrance by force. The collapsed building came into view just as I heard a crash and the spider screech in the distance. I stared at the collapsed building. My only choice. I squeezed myself through the gaps and holes of the collapsed building materials. The thing crashed right onto them ferociously. It made its way towards me as I desperately forced my way deeper into the rubble. As I did so, I found a door embedded into the ground. Instantly, I grabbed the handle and tried to pull up. However, the space and old hinges refused my action. The beast made its way towards me all the while angrily screeching. I grit my teeth. Veins popped. Ki flooded my arms. I pulled, I commanded the door to open. Only a slight opening. The beast lunged at me.
I swiftly made my way into it and it slammed shut behind me. The door was now the only receptor of its angry attacks. It tried its best to smash its way past the door all the while angrily screeching. I was too terrified to move. My power had left me as I stared up at the door vigorously shaking from its attempts. The door held. Everything went silent. However, I could hear it. It was right beside the door. Waiting for me. I was surprised it was that intelligent. However, it was exceedingly dumb. I wouldn't play its game. I stood up and dusted myself. I looked around. It was a dark passage way, the only light being the gentle blue luminescence from my eyes. However, I did note that there were cobwebs all over the passage way. This scared me stiff for a moment. I shook my head. I did not want to approach that level of stupidity just as I had conquered it. I took a step forward and picked up a rock.
I threw the rock ahead of me. Not really as a deterrent or method of detecting beasts. No, that'd be counterintuitive. It was more of a method of ensuring there was no abyss ahead of me. Such a phenomenon would blend in too nicely with the darkness I was in. Suddenly, one of the rocks I threw sparked just as it hit the floor. I picked it up. I stared at it. I hit it against other rocks until finally it produced a spark this time. Both rocks were amber colored. I tore off a piece of my garment and lit a flame. I was amazed.
(I know something now!)
I trudged on. However, my cloth torch quickly disintegrated. It was to be expected. I kept the two rocks and used other rocks to trudge forward. I would only light a cloth when necessary. After a few minutes of walking. I spotted a weird shape in the darkness. My heart palpitated. However, I tore a piece of my clothing and lit it. My eyes widened with awe and shock as I stared at the object. That made it two tribes. Two tribes I had never even heard of. Before me was a statue of a lady with two furry ears and a large fluffy tail like that of a Woloc. I stared at the statue longer. I had an inkling of the whereabouts of this tribe. I remembered when Krinlin told me a story about the Wolocs. Stating the Anadacian myth I was told was nothing but lies. I stared at the statue. If the story were true, they were truly pitiful. It even made sense why the Ostrogorths attacked the Wolocs and ignored me.
(How much did Krinlin know?)
My cloth torch was at its end. I was saddened but I had to move forward. However, even as I trudged on, my mind was bogged by a myriad of questions and I knew most, if not all questions could be answered by Krinlin. She had gone south to her homeland thus my questions would have to wait for her return. However, I did find it weird she went back to her homeland for three years without even sending a message to her family. Did she not care about her family? That was a rhetorical question. She was a lady of love and care to the extent I had never witnessed in my life. She treated me like a human, like a friend, like her own son despite being the cursed being I was. She was more family to me than my own. I never wanted to acknowledge that. It was taboo to think such. However, I felt that. That fact alone made it rather odd that she hadn't sent a message. Even more so, the one who informed me of her departure, the chieftain of Anadacia, was one she never got along with despite him being her husband. Abruptly, my train of thought was cut off.
There was truly no end to how many times I'd be blown away that day. On the walls, on the ceiling and even on the floor, there were writings. However, the spectacular bit about the situation I was in was that I could read them! It was just like what my brother had taught me. Though some parts were missing and some symbols were different but all the same I could somewhat read the writings. Moreover, the contents were an absolute treasure trove. It talked on two main things, as per the surviving writings. The first were limiters. It went into depth with the first three. That was why I was rather stunned by the writings. It reminded me of exactly why my eyes were currently glowing. I had , apparently, activated the first limiter and the brighter the glow the more potent its effects. I had done something most warriors were struggling with. That fact was difficult to swallow. I couldn't believe it yet it was staring me right in the face. Best of all, the first limiter was always the hardest to achieve. It was a limiter that improved perception, Ki control and its circulation speed in the body. This credited why Ki was now suddenly moving all round my body with such speed. I was happy. So happy in fact, I leapt in the air, just a bit. However, it did warn that if activated for too long, severe headaches would follow. This was not good news. I had activated for at least a few hours up to that point. Worse still, I can't deactivate it until I had found a solution to my current predicament. Furthermore, I had no idea how to deactivate it. I sighed. I pushed these issues to the back of my head. I didn't have infinite cloth to read all that. The next two were intertwined. The chest and heart limiters. They improved stamina, strength and agility immensely. They even improved healing properties. The heart limiter also improved perception. Though great benefits that would indeed make me way more powerful than even some of the junior warriors that had been training in the village, the method of acquisition was frightening. I had to fight a near death battle not only while out of ALL my stamina but for an extended period of time and apparently the longer I lasted the more potent the effects. That was just for the second limiter. The third limiter had to have me survive the after effects of such a battle on my heart. I sighed. If I got lucky, maybe the situation with that beast would help me unlock them. The rest of the limiters had nothing upon them, some information was missing and parts written in symbols I was yet to recognize. However, that wasn't even the most shocking of what I read.
The next bit was something I didn't hear anyone talk about around the village. Not the warriors being trained, the veteran warriors or even my father himself. No one had ever even mentioned such a concept. It was brilliant. It could act like my secret weapon. It was the formation of a Ki Datian. A storage for Ki would be the simplest and most disrespectful way to put it. However, it was the only way I could wrap my head around the complex literature discussing it. Abruptly, I noted a peculiar clause. I read it again. And again. And again. Each time, my shock grew ever more exacerbated. Yet it was a simple clause. Perhaps the power it described could be viewed as rather useful, to instill awe rather than shock. However that is exactly what it did. '...such a utility would allow you to create barriers...' it said. My eyes kept riveting upon those few words.
(Enischy was here?!)
It made no sense. How could he have gotten here? No. That couldn't be the case. The very same day I had landed in that ruin was the same day he showcased his Ki abilities. One of which was a barrier. However, if one needs a Ki Datian for such a feat, it would point to the person having access to this lost knowledge. This turned into a question of source and time. I did know that Enischy frequently went out for expedition but every man of age went for those. Suddenly, I recounted that he shouted the name 'Agroc' when he was fighting those Orcs. That must've been a spirit which makes even less sense but made everything click into place. I had no idea how one could get a spirit, however, if I were to assume that he gained one like I assumed I just did, then, there were many more ruins. Enough for two brothers from the same village to stumble upon some of them. However, that now instilled a sense of dread within me. Such a fact meant that many others were likely to have found a ruin, meaning spirits, artefacts and lost knowledge. Many of whom, I was sure, would be enemies. With all this in mind, a question popped into mind. A question that boggled me.
(Why did he hide this?)
It would make sense for one to disseminate information to their village. Especially one as critically potent as a Ki Datian. Such knowledge could easily enable us to handle our sworn enemies, the Amoraks. Hiding such information effectively meant he was responsible for enumerable deaths. However, I knew Enischy, he hated loss of life more than anyone. Despite this, evidence suggested the contrary. If this were truly the case, it's either he thought there was a spy within the village or he was going to use it against the village. The former seemed more likely than the latter. I sighed. Time was short. Cloths were running out. I would have to deliberate upon this issue and all remaining information later.
I quickly scanned through the texts again and again. I wanted this information firmly within my head. Surprisingly, it was proving easier than I thought. Effects of the first limiter I presumed. Just as I was re-reading the texts, I heard a slosh sound which was followed by a disgusting pop sound. Abruptly, a low screeching sound was heard moments after. Terror started making its way into me again. The cloth torch going out only worsened the situation. I shivered as I nervously and inefficiently tried to light yet another cloth torch. I heard something to eight bones clattering against the ground, getting louder and louder. I lit the torch only for it to supply me the details of my assailant right as it pounced onto me. I wailed. It was that beast but smaller and angrier. It landed on my chest as I fell backwards. It tore off a chunk of flesh around the neck region. I screamed, howled and shrieked in pain. After it got a taste of my flesh it seemed to go mad for a moment. It bit onto my neck with a heightened ferocity. I tried desperately to get it off me but it clung onto my flesh fiercely all the while using its eight legs to stab at me every time I resisted. Abruptly, the turns tabled. It started screeching and leapt away from me. All the while it flailed its limbs desperately past its chelicerae into itself. I immediately crawled farther from it. I stared at it in disbelief as it rolled on the ground flailing its limbs. The pain seemed toned down as I started hyperventilating and watched the scene before me. Soon it gave a last screech as its limbs curled up. I couldn't fathom what just happened.
I struggled to stand up. All the while my ears perked up. Complete silence. At that moment, I would have preferred to hear something, for I started hearing non-existent beings in the darkness. An Ostrogorths terrifying shriek in the distance, a goblins chit-chattering and even that beasts screeching. I was terrifying myself stiff. This time the words I had spoken before seemed to have no weight. Not when, I was just attacked. The darkness seemed much darker, the cloth torch having been extinguished in my struggle against that thing. That terrified me even more. That thing was reproducing. The thought of more than one of them scared me stiff. Abruptly the pain came barreling right into me. I collapsed onto my knees. The pain was unbearable. Blood oozed continuously from the wound. I stared at the disgusting wound. This only seemed to heighten the pain. Abruptly, a green mist began being emitted around the wound. It started healing, though rather slowly. Precipitously, the green markings appeared all over my body. I looked up. It was calling for me.
A green soothing light was in the distance. It was frail, it was incomparably dim but I could see it, feel it even. With sudden courage, I made my way towards the light. As I approached the light, I could note there were objects around me. Egg shaped. I swallowed my saliva. I walked on. The closer I got to this mysterious light, the brighter it gleamed and the more the desire to obtain it mounted. As I neared where it was, it exploded into a brilliant green eminence. The mist enveloped me and became something akin to a thick fog, my markings glowed with the same intensity. My wound healed, my body felt strengthened beyond my wildest dreams. I felt stronger. Much stronger. I didn't know how much was just feeling or a reality. I stared at what lay before me. It was a long pole covered in cobwebs with only a dazzling large green gem poking out the cobwebs. I took hold of the pole and only then realized the height difference. It was more than twice my height. I wished it was just a bit smaller and abruptly, green mist erupted from it and was then my height. The cobwebs fell off of it. I was stunned. I wondered what made it respond to my wish so quickly but even more so by what was before me.
(There really was a treasure here!)
It was an intricately designed golden staff with a cross for a head and upon the head were two of those pointed-ear ladies hugging each other by the hips. Embedded at the center of the cross was large crystal, however, it had lost its green color and was now grey. There were numerous black engravings on the golden staff that winded themselves all the way to its sharp pointed tip. I found that rather strange until I looked closely at where the cross began. At that point, the staff was broader and got narrower as you approached the tip. On careful inspection, there was something that looked like a partition. Very narrow and very easy to miss. I pulled. Lo and behold, it was a sword! A fantastic long sword! Though it was too heavy for my to hold with one hand. It had a narrow base then widened a short distance from the hilt. On the flat sides of the sword were similar engravings to that on the sword's sheath. However, there was a slight difference that I couldn't quite comprehend meant. Nevertheless, I was happy. Extremely happy. Even more so when I realised that the sword could join up with the sheath. When I thought of it a small green chain was emitted from the sword's top to a small crystal at the bottom of its sheath. However, it soon faded. I looked at the crystal ball. It was clear as day. I wondered as to how to refill it. I took a deep breath. Instantly, I felt it suck me off.
Both the sword and the sheath were sucking in Ki. Th crystal ball now had a small amount of blue mist within it and the chain that had disappeared reformed, only this time it was blue. I grinned and pumped Ki right into it. Instantly, the markings on the sheath gleamed a pale blue color and a shield erupted from it. It was a flame like shield and I could somewhat see through it. I hit it against a wall and the wall collapsed. I was elated. However, I abruptly collapsed onto the floor, panting. It had sucked me off too much. The crystal ball had barely been filled. I could handle the sheath but it seemed the sword itself was too much for me. However, this didn't damper my spirits one bit. I was elated. I had obtained a very powerful treasure indeed. As I panted on the floor is when I realized there was a bright light being emitted within that room. I turned my head and was shocked. There was a massive wall of rock that glowed a brilliant white. However, before I could even begin questioning its existence, I heard them.
The sloshing had begun. This time it was multiple of them. I could see the eggs pulsate and bulge disgustingly. This was bad! I thought of running away but my heart started beating thunderously against my chest, protesting such an action. The same overwhelming courage filled me, however, this time there was a bravado to it. I picked up the sword and stabbed one of the eggs. I heard a muffled screech and then silence. Soon after, a green mist was drained from the egg into the crystal ball. I even felt strengthened myself. I smirked. I stabbed all the rest in quick succession all the while that feeling of strength mounted within me. I could even remove the sword after killing it and the mist would follow the crystal ball and enter it. This was magnificent! I quickly stabbed the eggs. I noted that the eggs that weren't about to hatch gave less Ki, as I assumed.
(So it doesn't encourage spawn killing? Saddening.)
Instantly, a greedy thought entered my mind. 'Just how much would I gain from that beast?' was the question that now occupied my mind. I shook my head. I was convinced. I was going mad. Such a thought wouldn't have crossed before that day and it should've remained as such. However, even I felt something had changed. It hadn't snapped. But it was close. Suddenly, I had a pop. I had missed one. The threatening screech was emitted as eight crimson eyes stared at me from a dark corner. I glared at it. It leapt up towards me. I took one step aside, and with one hand, split it in half with the sword. It's pale amber blood was all over my body. I sighed. My heart was still roaring within my chest. I stared at the corpse. Killing that beast was seeming less and less like an impossibility and now like a priority. However, I wondered how I could pierce its hard shell. I shook my head and turned. I had to question its existence now.
I picked up a piece of that glowing rock. It seemed to grow brighter the moment I touched it. It too was sucking me off. However, it kept getting brighter and brighter. My instincts screamed yet again. I looked around nervously and spotted a tunnel. Instinctively, I threw it in there and leapt away. A massive explosion erupted from within the tunnel blowing into the room debris at insane speeds. The tunnel had also been massively widened. I rolled over to my back. I wiped the dust off my face. Coughed a couple of times then opened my eyes. I widened them in shock. The explosion was a blessing in disguise. Even more writings on the ceiling. Apparently being hid by layers of dust and cobwebs. However, it had little literature.
'Those born with cursed blood, have the affinity to make any beast go mad and intoxicated with bloodlust by the mere scent of their blood. Such is the payment for it grantin-'
The literature ended there. However, I remained staring up at the ceiling. I pondered for a moment. I remembered a point in my history I'd rather have kept sunk in the abyss of the forgotten. The day I killed her. I remember I bled that day and soon after that everything went downhill. Fast. I shook my head. I continued staring. There was a picture of a similar beast to the one assailing me perishing when few drops of blood entered it. I smiled. I now had three weapons. I stood up. If it was true, then that thing was well on its way there. I looked around. I could now spot three tunnels, including the one I had blown up. I chipped off some more of the rock and created a pouch with the little remaining cloth I had on my body. Just as I finished, I heard the beast screeching within one of the tunnels. It was an angry and malicious screech. I smirked. It was time to devour this beast.
~END~